Facetted browsing

ABSTRACT

Concepts and technologies are described herein for facetted browsing. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, data can be obtained at a computer system. The data can include data values and geographic information. The computer system can generate a geospatial visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the geographic location information. The computer system can also generate an overlay visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values. The computer system can also output the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/681,851 entitled “3D Visualization of Data in Geographical and Temporal Contexts,” filed Aug. 10, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A spreadsheet application, reporting application, or other data presentation application may support presentation of data in two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional pie charts, graphs, bar charts, or the like. Thus, users can chart or graph some data to gain insight into the data, relationships among data points, trends, or the like. Some data, however, may include various data components that are not readily susceptible to graphing and therefore may not be appreciated and/or viewable by users.

In particular, some data may include a geographical component. Charts and graphs in spreadsheet applications may present geographical information, but typically the display of this information is limited to a color code or data label. The color code or data label can specify, for example, a ZIP code, city name, country, or the like associated with the data points charted or graphed in the spreadsheet application.

It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.

SUMMARY

Concepts and technologies are described herein for facetted browsing. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer system can execute a visualization component. The visualization component can be included in a spreadsheet application and/or can be configured to present visualizations of spreadsheet data. The visualizations can include geospatial visualizations and overlay visualizations. As used herein, a “geospatial visualization” can include an animation scene or tour of multiple scenes that represent spreadsheet data on a globe, map, or other three-dimensional representation of location. As used herein, an “overlay visualization” can be linked to a geospatial visualization so as to enable a user to perform various actions to interact with spreadsheet data in a two-dimensional space and to see results of the interaction reflected in a three-dimensional space provided by the geospatial visualization. An overlay visualization can include a chart such as, but not limited to, a column chart, line chart, pie chart, bar chart, area chart, scatter plot, stock chart, surface chart, doughnut chart, bubble chart, radar chart, histogram, any variation thereof, any combination thereof, and/or the like. An overlay visualization can alternatively or additionally include one or more graphical user interface (“GUI”) elements such as buttons tabs, scroll bars, icons, menus, combinations thereof, and/or the like. An overlay visualization may overlay a geospatial visualization. Alternatively, an overlay visualization may be positioned above, below, or adjacent to a geospatial visualization.

According to one aspect, the computer system can obtain data. The data can include spreadsheet data. The data can include data values and geographic location information. In some embodiments, the data also includes temporal information. The computer system can access one or more geocoding services to obtain geographic mapping data. The computer system can use the geographic mapping data to map the geographic location information included in the data to geographic coordinates and/or other geocoded information. The computer system also can obtain map data, for example, from a map server. The map data can include map images that are joined together by the computer system and visually wrapped onto a virtual globe to provide the geospatial visualization.

According to another aspect, the computer system can obtain data that includes data values and geographic location information. The computer system also can generate a geospatial visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the geographic location information. The computer system also can generate an overlay visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values. The computer system can also output the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization.

According to another aspect, the computer system can obtain spreadsheet data that includes data values and geographic location information. The computer system also can generate a geospatial visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the geographic location information. The geospatial visualization can include a three-dimensional visualization that represents a plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in three-dimensional space. The computer system also can output the geospatial visualization. The computer system also can generate an overlay visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values. The overlay visualization can include a two-dimensional visualization that represents the plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in two-dimensional space. The computer system also can output the overlay visualization. In some embodiments, the computer system outputs the overlay visualization so that the overlay visualization overlays at least a portion of the geospatial visualization.

According to another aspect, the computer system can obtain spreadsheet data that includes data values, temporal information, and geographic location information. The computer system also can generate a geospatial visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the temporal information, and the geographic location information. The geospatial information can include a three-dimensional visualization that represents a plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in three-dimensional space. The computer system also can output the geospatial visualization to a user computing device that is in communication with the computer system. The computer system also can generate an overlay visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the temporal information. The overlay visualization can include a two-dimensional chart that represents the plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in two-dimensional space. The computer system also can output the overlay visualization to the user computing device such that the overlay visualization at least partially overlays the geospatial visualization.

In some embodiments, the computer system also can receive an input to select a portion of the spreadsheet data via the two-dimensional chart included in the overlay visualization. In response to the input, the computer system can select the portion of the spreadsheet data in the two-dimensional chart and a corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data in the three-dimensional visualization.

In some other embodiments, the computer system also can receive an input to select a portion of the spreadsheet data via the three-dimensional visualization included in the geospatial visualization. In response to the input, the computer system can select the portion of the spreadsheet data in the three-dimensional visualization and a corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data in the two-dimensional chart.

It should be appreciated that the above-described subject matter may be implemented as a computer-controlled apparatus, a computer process, a computing system, or as an article of manufacture such as a computer-readable storage medium. These and various other features will be apparent from a reading of the following Detailed Description and a review of the associated drawings.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an illustrative operating environment for the various embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing aspects of a visualization component, according an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for facetted browsing, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for filtering data via an overlay visualization that is linked to a geospatial visualization, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showings aspects of a method for filtering data via a geospatial visualization that is linked to an overlay visualization.

FIGS. 6A-6C are user interface diagrams showing aspects of user interfaces for facetted browsing, according to various illustrative embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating an illustrative computer hardware and software architecture for a computing system capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a distributed computing environment capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 9 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating a computing device architecture capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is directed to concepts and technologies for facetted browsing. Concepts and technologies are described herein for facetted browsing. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer system can execute a visualization component. The visualization component can be included in a spreadsheet application and/or can be configured to present visualizations of spreadsheet data. The visualizations can include geospatial visualizations and overlay visualizations. As used herein, a “geospatial visualization” can include an animation scene or tour of multiple scenes that represent spreadsheet data on a globe, map, or other three-dimensional representation of location. As used herein, an “overlay visualization” can be linked to a geospatial visualization so as to enable a user to perform various actions to interact with spreadsheet data in a two-dimensional space and to see results of the interaction reflected in a three-dimensional space provided by the geospatial visualization. An overlay visualization can include a chart such as, but not limited to, a column chart, line chart, pie chart, bar chart, area chart, scatter plot, stock chart, surface chart, doughnut chart, bubble chart, radar chart, histogram, any variation thereof, any combination thereof, and/or the like. An overlay visualization can alternatively or additionally include one or more graphical user interface (“GUI”) elements such as buttons tabs, scroll bars, icons, menus, combinations thereof, and/or the like. An overlay visualization may overlay a geospatial visualization. Alternatively, an overlay visualization may be positioned above, below, or adjacent to a geospatial visualization.

While the subject matter described herein is presented in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with the execution of an operating system and application programs on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with other types of program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like.

In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, aspects of a computing system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer-implemented methodology for facetted browsing will be presented.

Referring now to FIG. 1, aspects of one operating environment 100 for the various embodiments presented herein will be described. The operating environment 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a computer system 102 operating as a part of and/or in communication with a communications network (“network”) 104. According to various implementations of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the computer system 102 can be provided by a cloud-based computing platform that can be provided by one or more application servers, Web servers, data storage systems, network appliances, dedicated hardware devices, and/or other server computers or computing devices.

According to some other embodiments, the computer system 102 can include a user computing device, such as a tablet computing device, a personal computer (“PC”), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a cellular phone or smartphone, other mobile computing devices, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), or the like. Some example architectures of the computer system 102 are illustrated and described below with reference to FIGS. 7-9. For purposes of illustrating and describing the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the computer system 102 is described herein as being provided by a server computer. In light of the above alternative embodiments of the computer system 102 described above, it should be understood that this example is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

The computer system 102 can be configured to execute an operating system 106 and one or more application programs such as, for example, a spreadsheet application 108, a visualization component 110, and/or other application programs. The operating system 106 is a computer program for controlling the operation of the computer system 102. The application programs are executable programs configured to execute on top of the operating system 106 to provide the functionality described herein for facetted browsing.

In particular, the spreadsheet application 108 can be configured to create, manipulate, store, and/or otherwise interact with tabular or other structured data such as spreadsheets. According to some embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 can be provided by a member of the MICROSOFT EXCEL family of spreadsheet applications from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. In some other embodiments, the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 can be provided by a database application, a data reporting application, a data presentation application, combinations thereof, or the like.

According to some implementations, the spreadsheet application 108 can be executed by one or more server computers in the computer system 102, such as application servers and/or Web servers. Thus, the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 can be accessed by other computing devices and/or accessed at the computer system 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 can be accessed and/or interacted with by a user computing device 112. The functionality of the user computing device 112 can be provided by, for example, a tablet computing device, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, other computing devices, combinations thereof, or the like. The user computing device 112 can communicate with the computer system 102 over one or more links or networks such as, for example, the network 104, a private network, a direct wireless or wired connection, the Internet, and/or combinations of these and other networks and/or communication links.

Although not visible in FIG. 1, the user computing device 112 can execute one or more client applications. The client applications can include Web browser applications and/or other applications for accessing the spreadsheet application 108 executing on the computer system 102. In some embodiments, the spreadsheet application 108 can be executed locally on the user computing device 112 or other devices that can include the functionality of the computer system 102 described herein. The spreadsheet application 108 can be implemented as hardware, software, and/or a combination of the two. Furthermore, the spreadsheet application 108 can include one or more application program modules and other components on the user computing device 112, the computer system 102, and/or other computing platforms. As will be explained in more detail herein, the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112 can generate and/or present one or more user interfaces (“UIs”) 114. The UIs 114 can be provided to the user computing device 112 for presentation to a user 116.

According to various embodiments, the spreadsheet application 108 can be configured to generate, manipulate, and/or store tabular or other structured data that can be included in spreadsheet data 118. The spreadsheet data 118 also can be stored in tables of a database, objects stored in an object store, or the like. While the spreadsheet data 118 is illustrated, the spreadsheet application 108 and/or the visualization component 110 can be configured to generate, manipulate, and/or other types of data and metadata. Because the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 is generally understood, the spreadsheet application 108 will not be described in additional detail herein.

In some embodiments, the spreadsheet data 118 includes data that has been modeled in accordance with one or more data models. For example, the spreadsheet data 118 can include data modeled in accordance with a relational model that defines a relational organization among data tables.

According to various implementations, the spreadsheet data 118 can be obtained by the computer system 102 from a local or remote data source 120. In some embodiments, the data source 120 can include a memory, disk drive, or other data storage element of or associated with the computer system 102. In some other embodiments, such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the data source 120 can include a network drive, a server computer operating as a part of and/or in communication with the network 104, a database or other real or virtual data storage elements, and/or other data storage devices. As such, it should be understood that the data source 120 can include almost any type of data storage device that is local to and/or remote from the computer system 102.

The visualization component 110 can be configured to obtain the spreadsheet data 118 from the spreadsheet application 108 and/or directly from the data source 120, and to generate, based upon the spreadsheet data 118, three-dimensional visualizations of the spreadsheet data 118 in a geographical and/or temporal context. In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be implemented as a component of the spreadsheet application 108, and in some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be implemented as a component separate from the spreadsheet application. In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be provided as a stand-alone application. Thus, while the spreadsheet application 108 and the visualization component 110 are illustrated as components of the computer system 102, it should be understood that each of these components, or combinations thereof, may be embodied as or in stand-alone devices or components thereof operating on or in communication with the network 104 and/or the computer system 102. Thus, the illustrated embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 may be implemented as a plugin or add-in for the spreadsheet application 108. In some other embodiments, the visualization component 110 can include a service and/or set of application programming interfaces (“APIs”) that can provide the functionality described herein. Thus, it should be appreciated that the visualization component 110 can be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

According to various embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the visualization component 110 can be configured to access one or more geocoding services 122. The geocoding services 122 can be configured to map geographical data included in the spreadsheet data 118 to geographic information. Thus, for example, the visualization component 110 can provide geographical data included in the spreadsheet data 118 such as, for example, a street address, a city, a state, a ZIP code, or the like, to the geocoding services 122. The geocoding services 122 can map this geographical data to latitude and longitude information and/or other geocoded location data. Thus, it can be appreciated that the geocoding services 122 can be called by the computer system 102 via one or more APIs exposed by the geocoding services 122, though this is not necessarily the case. Furthermore, the geocoding services 122 can be configured to provide geographic mapping data 124 representing mappings of the geographical data to the geocoded location data to the computer system 102, though this is not necessarily the case.

In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can access the geocoding services 122 via one or more networks such as, for example, the network 104, the Internet, other networks, and/or a combination thereof. In some other embodiments, the geocoding services 122 can be implemented on the computer system 102. In one contemplated embodiment, the geocoding services 122 are implemented as a component of the visualization component 110. It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

The visualization component 110 also can be configured to obtain and/or access map data 126. The map data 126 can be used to provide geolocation and/or graphical data for the creation of the three-dimensional geographical maps as described herein. The visualization component 110 may be configured to obtain or access the map data 126 from or at a computing device such as, for example, a map server 128. In some embodiments, the functionality of the map server 128 can be provided by a mapping application executed by a search engine such as the BING search engine from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. Because the functionality of the map server 128 can be provided by additional and/or other devices and/or applications, it should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

The computer system 102 can access the map server 128 via one or more networks such as, for example, the network 104. In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be configured to access map tiles from the map data 126, and to stich the map tiles together over a three-dimensional globe armature to create a three-dimensional geographic globe. The visualization component 110 can be configured to use geocoded location data such as latitude and longitude data from the geocoding services 122 to place visualizations of data included in the spreadsheet data 118 on the three-dimensional geographic globe. As such, various embodiments of the visualization component 110 can be configured to generate displays of geographic data in three-dimensional geospatial visualizations.

As used herein, a “geospatial visualization” can include an animation scene or tour of multiple scenes that represent the spreadsheet data 118 on a globe, map, or other three-dimensional representation of location. The spreadsheet data 118 can be displayed on the globe, map, or the like at points corresponding to geographic location data included in the spreadsheet data 118. The geospatial visualization also can show data changes over time.

The visualization component 110 also can be configured to generate one or more two-dimensional visualizations of the spreadsheet data 118. The user 116 can more easily browse the spreadsheet data 118 displayed within a geospatial visualization by interacting with at least a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 displayed within a two-dimensional space provided by one or more two-dimensional visualizations that overlay the geospatial visualization. An “overlay visualization” can be linked to a geospatial visualization so as to enable a user to perform various actions to interact with the spreadsheet data 118 in a two-dimensional space and to see results of the interaction reflected in a three-dimensional space provided by the geospatial visualization. An overlay visualization can include a chart such as, but not limited to, a column chart, line chart, pie chart, bar chart, area chart, scatter plot, stock chart, surface chart, doughnut chart, bubble chart, radar chart, histogram, any variation thereof, any combination thereof, and/or the like. An overlay visualization can alternatively or additionally include one or more graphical user interface (“GUI”) elements such as buttons tabs, scroll bars, icons, menus, combinations thereof, and/or the like. It should be understood that while an overlay visualization can represent the spreadsheet data 118 in a two-dimensional space, elements of the overlay visualization, such as bars in a bar chart, might be generated to appear three-dimensional, have shadow effects, or to have other effects that enhance the visual appeal of the overlay visualization. An overlay visualization may overlay a geospatial visualization. Alternatively, an overlay visualization may be positioned above, below, or adjacent to a geospatial visualization.

The visualization component 110 also can be configured to provide the functionality described herein for facetted browsing. As used herein, “facetted browsing” can generally include a selection or other interaction with at least a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is represented within two-dimensional space via one or more overlay visualizations to easily interact with at least a corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is represented within three-dimensional space via a geospatial visualization. Facetted browsing can enable the user 116 to browse the spreadsheet data 118 in two-dimensional space and three-dimensional space spatially, temporarily, and categorically.

The user 116 may interact with the spreadsheet application 108 and the visualization component 110 to create and/or navigate a three-dimensional visualization of the spreadsheet data 118 through a display of the user computing device 112. The user 116 also may interact with the spreadsheet application 108 and the visualization component 110 to create and/or navigate an overlay visualization of the spreadsheet data 118 through a display of the user computing device 112. The user 116 can interact with the spreadsheet application 108 and the visualization component 110 to perform actions to at least a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 presented on an overlay visualization and see results of the action on corresponding representations of the portion of the spreadsheet data 118 presented on the geospatial visualization. In some embodiments, the user 116 may use one or more input devices of the user computing device 112 such as a touchscreen, a keyboard, a mouse, a game controller, combinations thereof, or the like. The UIs 114 can be presented on the touchscreen, a monitor, a display, other display surfaces or devices, combinations thereof, or the like.

A user can interact with one or more overlay visualizations through actions such as, but not limited to, brushing, selection, filtering, and comparison. As used herein, a “brushing action” can include a mouse click, touch, touch gesture, or other user input directed to an item on an overlay visualization that is representative of at least a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 (e.g., a bar of a bar chart) to emphasize a corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is represented on a geospatial visualization. A brushing action can emphasize a brushed over item or a portion thereof within the overlay visualization as well as the corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 associated with the item within the geospatial visualization. The emphasis applied to the portion of the spreadsheet data 118 shown in the overlay visualization can be the same as or different from the emphasis applied to the corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 shown in the geospatial visualization. An emphasis can include, but is not limited to, a highlight, an animation, a color change, a size change, an embossment, any other visually emphatic item, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, an emphasis can include an accompanying sound such as, for example, a pre-defined sound that is associated with the application of an emphasis to at least a portion of the spreadsheet data 118. In some embodiments, an emphasis is not directly applied but inherent because other data (e.g., surrounding data points on a geospatial visualization) is deemphasized or no longer displayed.

In some embodiments, data shown in a geospatial visualization and/or in an overlay visualization is shown in aggregated or summary form. In these embodiments, an action performed on one of the visualizations that shows aggregated data may not reflect a one-to-one change on the other visualization, and instead may reflect a one-to-many change to account for the aggregated data that may span multiple categories, for example.

As used herein, a “selection” can include a mouse click, touch, touch gesture, speech input, or other user input used to choose an item from an overlay visualization for receipt of another action to be applied to the chosen item, such as, for example, the application or removal of one or more filters. As used herein, a “filter” can include one or more conditions that are to be applied to the spreadsheet data 118 so that only a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 is displayed on one or more overlay visualizations and the geospatial visualization.

As explained above, an overlay visualization might include a bar chart. For ease of explanation and not limitation, the following example describes an overlay visualization that includes a bar chart. The bar chart can include one or more bars, each of which is associated with a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is displayed on a geospatial visualization that is linked to the bar chart. The user 116 can brush over a bar of the bar chart, and in response, the visualization component 110 can cause the overlay visualization to emphasize the brushed over bar and the corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is displayed on the geospatial visualization. The user 116 can then choose one or more filters to apply to the selected bar and the corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118, thereby filtering the spreadsheet data 118 displayed on the geospatial visualization via the overlay visualization. In response to the application of one or more filters to the selected bar, a filtered portion of the spreadsheet data 118 can be emphasized on the geospatial visualization to distinguish the filtered portion of the spreadsheet data 118 from a remaining portion of the spreadsheet data 118.

As a more concrete, real-world example, the spreadsheet data 118 might include arrest data for a particular city over a particular time period, and each data point represented within a geospatial visualization might represent an arrest. The user 116 may desire to filter the spreadsheet data 118 so that only certain types of arrests, such as drug arrests, are displayed on the geospatial visualization. The user 116 can select a filter to cause the computer system 102 to execute the visualization component 110 to display only a portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is related to drug arrests. The result of applying such a filter might be the visualization component 110 applying an emphasis to the drug-related arrests within the geospatial visualization to distinguish the drug-related arrests from arrests associated with other arrest categories, such as homicide or robbery.

In the above example, the overlay visualization might display the drug-related arrests as different drug categories that the user 116 can select to further filter the spreadsheet data 118 represented within the geospatial visualization. Each of these categories may be displayed within the overlay visualization, for example, as bars within a bar chart. When the user 116 brushes over any of the bars, the brushed-over bar can become emphasized and the corresponding portion of the spreadsheet data 118 that is represented on the geospatial visualization also can be emphasized so as to distinguish drug arrests of the drug category associated with the brushed-over bar from the other drug categories displayed within the overlay visualization. The user 116 may also desire to further filter the spreadsheet data 118 to show drug arrests within a particular drug category that occurred on a specific date or during a specific date range. The user 116 may also desire to further filter the spreadsheet data 118 to show drug arrests within a particular drug category that occurred on a specific date or during a specific date range and at a specific time or during a specific time range. As the user 116 selects filters, the spreadsheet data 118 that adheres to the condition(s) specified by the filters can be emphasized on the geospatial visualization.

A “time range” can be used herein to refer to a time duration of the data points that is to be represented in the visualization. The time range can be determined based upon an analysis of the spreadsheet data 118 and/or can be specified by a user or other entity. For example, a user can specify a time range based upon a determination a duration of time over which the user wishes to present the data. Thus, a user may specify a time range of particular interest such as, for example, a particular hour, day, week, month, quarter, year, decade, century, or the like. Because the time range can be specified as additional and/or alternative amounts of time, it should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

In some embodiments, the computer system 102 can determine the time range over which to show the visualization based upon the spreadsheet data 118. In particular, the computer system can be configured to determine an earliest time included in the spreadsheet data 118 and a latest time included in the spreadsheet data 118, and to define the time range as being bound by these two times. Thus, for example, if the earliest time data associated with the spreadsheet data 118 corresponds to Jan. 1, 2014 and the latest time data associated with the spreadsheet data 118 corresponds to Jan. 1, 2015, the computer system 102 can determine that the time range is to correspond to one year beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

In yet other embodiments, the computer system 102 can determine a time range based upon an analysis of the spreadsheet data 118 and assumptions as to what time ranges are likely to be of interest to a user or other entity. Thus, for example, if a data set includes one hundred data points, with ninety of the data points occurring within a one month range and the remainder of the data points occurring over a year period before and/or after the one month range, the computer system 102 may determine that the one month range is to be defined as the time range, and that the other data points are not to be represented in the visualization. This example is illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

“Animation speed” can refer to a rate at which data points are presented in the visualization. In particular, the computer system 102 can be configured to present the spreadsheet data 118 in a visualization over a default time. In some embodiments, the default time can correspond to ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds, other times, or the like. The default time can be specified by a user, application setting, preferences, or the like, and/or can be based upon an assumption that a user or other viewer wishes to watch an animated sequence for a time corresponding to the default time. Thus, whether the spreadsheet data 118 includes three hundred records or three thousand records, the animation can last the defined duration.

To meet the defined duration, the computer system 102 and/or a user can adjust the animation speed. In the above example of a thirty second duration and three hundred data points, the animation speed can correspond to ten data points (or animation frames) per second. In the other example of three thousand data points and thirty seconds, the animation speed can correspond to one hundred data points per second. It should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

In some embodiments, however, the computer system 102 can be configured to impose a maximum animation speed such as, for example, fifteen milliseconds. Thus, the animation speed can be limited by the computer system 102, in some embodiments, to approximately sixty-six data points per second. In some implementations, this maximum animation speed can be imposed to allow the computer system 102 resources to draw each animation frame without negatively impacting performance of the computer system 102. Because the maximum animation speed can be omitted and/or can correspond to other rates, it should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

According to various embodiments, the computer system 102 can obtain spreadsheet data 118 from a data source such as the data source 120. The spreadsheet data 118 can include a set of data points (“data set”) having values, temporal values such as time stamps, and location information. As such, a particular data point of the data set can include a value, a corresponding location, and a corresponding time. The computer system 102 can identify a time component of the spreadsheet data 118, and generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data 118 based upon at least the time component.

In some embodiments, the application of one or more filters is incremental so that the user 116 can explore various facets (e.g., categories, categories within categories, temporal aspects, and/or other aspects) of the spreadsheet data 118 to discover potential insights, which might lead the user 116 to identify patterns within the spreadsheet data 118 and/or might lead the user 116 to further explore within selected facets or other facets of the spreadsheet data 118. By linking one or more overlay visualizations to a geospatial visualization, the difficulty of browsing data points within a three-dimensional space is mitigated or eliminated, but the user 116 maintains the benefits of viewing a visual representation of the spreadsheet data 118 within a geospatial visualization.

FIG. 1 illustrates one computer system 102, one network 104, one user computing device 112, one data source 120, one instance of geocoding services 122, and one map server 128. It should be understood, however, that some implementations of the operating environment 100 can include multiple computer systems 102, multiple networks 104, multiple user computing devices 112, multiple data sources 120, multiple instances of the geocoding services 122, and/or multiple map servers 128. As such, the illustrated embodiment of the operating environment should be understood as being illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

Turning now to FIG. 2, additional aspects of the visualization component 110 will be presented, according to one illustrative embodiment. In particular, FIG. 2 provides further details regarding architecture and subcomponents of the visualization component 110, according to some embodiments. The visualization component 110 can include a number of components and/or subsystems including, but not limited to, a visualization control 200, a visualization engine 202, a spreadsheet plugin core 204, and/or other components and/or subsystems.

The visualization control 200 can include functionality for representing data, performing searches and/or providing search services, a globe control for visualizing and/or presenting representations of the globe, video recording functionality for recording animations and/or videos of illustrated tours, and a client. The visualization engine 202 can include functionality for generating a tour including multiple scenes, images, and/or animation sequences; functionality for measuring and/or representing time in the visualization space; an engine core for providing the visualization component functionality described herein; annotations functionality for generating and/or rendering two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional annotations; spatial indexing functionality; and camera functionality. The visualization engine 202 also can include globe models and/or functionality for representing the globe; input and touch modules for interpreting touch and/or multi-touch commands as input; visual layers functionality for representing and/or interacting with layers of a visualization space; a tile cache for storing map tiles; a three-dimensional graphics module for generating and/or rendering three-dimensional visualizations; and shaders for providing shading of generated and/or rendered three-dimensional objects.

As used herein, a “layer” of a scene can correspond to a set of data having data values, geographic information, and time information. Thus, a particular scene may include multiple layers corresponding to, for example, household income and income tax rate over time at a number of geographic locations. Thus, by showing multiple layers in a visualization, a user or other entity may view changes in both types of data over time and with respect to location. It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

In some embodiments, a layer includes a geospatial visualization and one or more overlay visualizations. The one or more overlay visualizations may overlay at least a portion of the geospatial visualization.

In some embodiments, the shaders can include or implement a number of algorithms to facilitate the rendering of the three-dimensional geographical visualizations of data described herein. For example, the visualization component 110 can implement a dark aura effect for disambiguating visualization of a number of similarly colored objects. A dark aura effect can include a visual treatment that allows a viewer, for example the user 116, to differentiate between items in a three-dimensional visualization space. When there are multiple, similarly colored columns in a three-dimensional visualization or view, some of these columns may be next to and/or behind one another in the three-dimensional view. Thus, the multiple columns may appear to be grouped together and/or may look like a single polygon. In some embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the dark aura effect can be added around one or more of the columns, thereby allowing the one or more columns to appear to stand out from one another. Because other visual effects are possible and are contemplated, it should be understood that this example is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

In another example, the visualization component 110 may implement a GPU-based framework for asynchronous hit testing for large number of arbitrary three-dimensional elements. This may comprise adding “out-of-channel” color information to pixels of the objects rendered in the three-dimensional visualization that may be invisible to the viewer, but can contain information identifying the object. Thus, if a user taps, clicks, or otherwise interacts with a point in the three-dimensional visualization, the identity of the object represented by the selected pixel can be known without deconstructing the three-dimensional visualization and determining the object rendered at the selected location. This may be implemented in the GPU.

The spreadsheet plugin core 204 can include functionality for storing workbook state information, as well as a query engine for generating and/or executing queries against various data sources. In some embodiments, the query engine can be configured to generate a query based upon data stored in the spreadsheet data 118, and to submit the queries to a query engine. It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

The visualization component 110 also can include various other components and/or subsystems such as, for example, a spreadsheet program native plugin and a spreadsheet program command object model (“COM”) API. The visualization component 110 also can include various graphics plugins and/or APIs such as the illustrated DIRECTX APIs, API call emulators such as the illustrated DIRECTX WRAPPER, a WINDOWS Presentation Foundation (“WPF”) subsystem, combinations thereof, or the like. The visualization component 110 also can include analytics engines such as the illustrated VERTIPAQ engine and/or modules associated with other data providers, if desired. It should be appreciated that the visualization component 110 can include additional and/or alternative functionality not shown in FIG. 2. As such, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 should be understood as being illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way

Turning now to FIG. 3, aspects of a method 300 for facetted browsing will be described in detail. It should be understood that the operations of the methods disclosed herein are not necessarily presented in any particular order and that performance of some or all of the operations in an alternative order(s) is possible and is contemplated. The operations have been presented in the demonstrated order for ease of description and illustration. Operations may be added, omitted, and/or performed simultaneously, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

It also should be understood that the illustrated methods disclosed herein can be ended at any time and need not be performed in their respective (or collective) entireties. Some or all operations of the methods disclosed herein, and/or substantially equivalent operations, can be performed by execution of computer-readable instructions included on a computer-storage media, as defined herein. The term “computer-readable instructions,” and variants thereof, as used in the description and claims, is used expansively herein to include routines, applications, application modules, program modules, programs, components, data structures, algorithms, and the like. Computer-readable instructions can be implemented on various system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based, programmable consumer electronics, combinations thereof, and the like.

Thus, it should be appreciated that the logical operations described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as states, operations, structural devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof.

For purposes of illustrating and describing the concepts of the present disclosure, the methods disclosed herein are described as being performed by the computer system 102 via execution of one or more software modules such as, for example, the visualization component 110. It should be understood that additional and/or alternative devices and/or network nodes can provide the functionality described herein via execution of one or more modules, applications, and/or other software including, but not limited to, the visualization component 110. Thus, the illustrated embodiments are illustrative, and should not be viewed as being limiting in any way.

The method 300 begins at operation 302, wherein the computer system 102 obtains data such as the spreadsheet data 118. As explained above, the spreadsheet data 118 can include various types of information or content such as, for example, spreadsheet files, database application data, and/or other types of information. In one contemplated embodiment, the spreadsheet data 118 corresponds to a spreadsheet file such as a file generated by a member of the MICROSOFT EXCEL family of spreadsheet application software products from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. The spreadsheet data 118 can be obtained from a data storage device or component associated with the computer system 102. Some examples of data storage devices are described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 7-9. In some other embodiments, the spreadsheet data 118 can be stored at or hosted by a remote storage device or resource such as the data source 120 described herein. Thus, the spreadsheet data 118 can be obtained by the computer system 102 via communications with the data source 120. As such, it should be understood that the spreadsheet data 118 can be obtained from any real or virtual device via a direct connection, via one or more networks, and/or via other nodes, devices, and/or device components.

From operation 302, the method 300 proceeds to operation 304, wherein the computer system 102 generates one or more geospatial visualizations of the data obtained at operation 302. At operation 304, the computer system 102 can determine, based upon preferences, options, configuration settings, user input, combinations thereof, or the like, what should be displayed within the geospatial visualization. For example, the default portion of a globe or other three-dimensional location that is to be displayed, how the data is to be displayed on the geospatial visualization, the color theme to be utilized, whether or not the data has a time component, and the like. Moreover, at operation 304, the computer system 102 can generate one or more data labels for the geospatial visualization. The data labels can include text, images, or other representations that specify what the data represent in the geospatial visualization. Thus, the labels can include, for example, a data type, a data name, location information, color information, data value labels, combinations thereof, or the like.

From operation 304, the method 300 proceeds to operation 306, wherein the computer system 102 presents the one or more geospatial visualizations of the data. As explained above, a geospatial visualization can be presented in or as a UI 114 presented at the user computing device 112 and/or other computing devices. The UI 114 can be presented by or on a display, a touchscreen, a monitor, a projector, and/or other display device.

From operation 306, the method 300 proceeds to operation 308, wherein the computer system 102 receives an input to view one or more overlay visualizations. From operation 308, the method 300 proceeds to operation 310, wherein the computer system 102 generates one or more overlay visualizations of the data obtained at operation 302. From operation 310, the method 300 proceeds to operation 312, wherein the computer system 102 presents the one or more overlay visualizations of the data. As explained above, an overlay visualization can be presented in or as a UI 114 presented at the user computing device 112 and/or other computing devices. The UI 114 can be presented by or on a display, a touchscreen, a monitor, a projector, and/or other display device.

From operation 312, the method 300 proceeds to operation 314, wherein the computer system 102 receives an input via the one or more overlay visualizations to perform an action. The input can be to perform an action such as brushing, selection, filtering, and/or comparison, as described in further detail above. From operation 314, the method 300 proceeds to operation 316, wherein the computer system 102 updates the one or more geospatial visualizations in response to the input. For example, if the input received by the computer system 102 at operation 314 is a brushing action over a bar of bar chart included in the overlay visualization, the data associated with the brushed over bar can be emphasized on the geospatial visualization. In some embodiments, one, some, or all of the geospatial visualizations are updated. From operation 316, the method 300 proceeds to operation 318, wherein the computer system 102 presents one or more updated geospatial visualizations of the data. As explained above, a geospatial visualization can be presented in or as a UI 114 presented at the user computing device 112 and/or other computing devices. The UI 114 can be presented by or on a display, a touchscreen, a monitor, a projector, and/or other display device.

From operation 318, the method 300 proceeds to operation 320. The method 300 ends at operation 320.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, it should be understood that the computer system 102 can receive an input via the one or more geospatial visualizations to perform an action. The input can be to perform an action such as, for example, brushing, selection, filtering, and/or comparison. In response to receiving the input, the computer system 102 can update the one or more overlay visualizations and present the one or more updated overlay visualizations. As such, the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, wherein the computer system 102 receives an input via the one or more overlay visualizations is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

Turning now to FIG. 4, aspects of a method 400 for filtering data via an overlay visualization that is linked to a geospatial visualization will be described in detail. The method 400 begins at operation 402, wherein the computer system 102 presents a geospatial visualization of data, such as the spreadsheet data 118. From operation 402, the method 400 proceeds to operation 404, wherein the computer system 102 presents an overlay visualization of the data. As explained above, the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization can be presented in or as a UI 114 presented at the user computing device 112 and/or other computing devices. The UI 114 can be presented by or on a display, a touchscreen, a monitor, a projector, and/or other display device.

From operation 404, the method 400 proceeds to operation 406, wherein the computer system 102 receives an input via the overlay visualization to filter the data. From operation 406, the method 400 proceeds to operation 408, wherein the computer system 102 filters the data according to the input received at operation 406. From operation 408, the method 400 proceeds to operation 410, wherein the computer system 102 presents the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization of the filtered data.

From operation 410, the method 400 proceeds to operation 412, wherein the computer system 102 determines if an input to further filter the data is received. If the computer system 102 does not receive an input to further filter the data, the method 400 proceeds to operation 414. The method 400 ends at operation 414.

If the computer system 102 receives an input to further filter the data, the method 400 proceeds to operation 416, wherein the computer system 102 further filters the data according to the input. From operation 416, the method 400 proceeds to operation 418, wherein the computer system 102 presents the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization of the further filtered data. The method 400 then returns to operation 412, wherein the computer system 102 again determines if an input to further filter the data is received. Operation 412, operation 416, and operation 418 can be repeated any number of times to accommodate the application of any number of filters to the data. After no further filter is to be applied, the method 400 ends at operation 414.

Although not shown in FIG. 4, it should be understood that the computer system 102 can take additional actions to remove previously applied filters. For example, after the filter is applied at operation 408 or a further filter is applied at operation 416, the computer system 102 can receive another input to remove one or more previously applied filters. It is contemplated that the computer system 102 can receive inputs to apply and remove inputs any number of filters. As such, the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, wherein the computer system 102 applies filters but does not then remove filters is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

Turning now to FIG. 5, aspects of a method 500 for filtering data via a geospatial visualization that is linked to an overlay visualization will be described in detail. The method 500 begins at operation 502, wherein the computer system 102 presents a geospatial visualization of data, such as the spreadsheet data 118. From operation 502, the method 500 proceeds to operation 504, wherein the computer system 102 presents an overlay visualization of the data. As explained above, the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization can be presented in or as a UI 114 presented at the user computing device 112 and/or other computing devices. The UI 114 can be presented by or on a display, a touchscreen, a monitor, a projector, and/or other display device.

From operation 504, the method 500 proceeds to operation 506, wherein the computer system 102 receives an input via the geospatial visualization to filter the data. From operation 506, the method 500 proceeds to operation 508, wherein the computer system 102 filters the data according to the input received at operation 506. From operation 508, the method 500 proceeds to operation 510, wherein the computer system 102 presents the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization of the filtered data.

From operation 510, the method 500 proceeds to operation 512, wherein the computer system 102 determines if an input to further filter the data is received. If the computer system 102 does not receive an input to further filter the data, the method 500 proceeds to operation 514. The method 500 ends at operation 514.

If the computer system 102 receives an input to further filter the data, the method 500 proceeds to operation 516, wherein the computer system 102 further filters the data according to the input. From operation 516, the method 500 proceeds to operation 518, wherein the computer system 102 presents the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization of the further filtered data. The method 500 then returns to operation 512, wherein the computer system 102 again determines if an input to further filter the data is received. Operation 512, operation 516, and operation 518 can be repeated any number of times to accommodate the application of any number of filters to the data. After no further filter is to be applied, the method 500 ends at operation 514.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, it should be understood that the computer system 102 can take additional actions to remove previously applied filters. For example, after the filter is applied at operation 508 or a further filter is applied at operation 516, the computer system 102 can receive another input to remove one or more of the applied filters. It is contemplated that the computer system 102 can receive inputs to apply and remove inputs any number of filters. As such, the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, wherein the computer system 102 applies filters but does not then remove filters is illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

Turning now to FIGS. 6A-6C, UI diagrams showing various aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for facetted browsing will be described according to various illustrative embodiments. FIG. 6A shows an illustrative screen display 600A generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen display 600A can correspond to the UI 114 displayed by the user computing device 112, as shown in FIG. 1, though this is not necessarily the case. It should be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 6A is illustrative of one contemplated example, and therefore should not be construed as being limited in any way.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the screen display 600A can include a three-dimensional geospatial visualization (“geospatial visualization”) 602 and a two-dimensional overlay visualization (“overlay visualization”) 604 of data such as the spreadsheet data 118 described herein. More particularly, the screen display 600A is illustrated as displaying a globe with multiple data points illustrated on the globe in their corresponding locations and/or magnitudes as data points 606. The data points 606 are also represented at least in part by the overlay visualization 604. The geospatial visualization 602 and the overlay visualization 606 are linked together so that interaction with the spreadsheet data 118 via the overlay visualization 606 is reflected on the geospatial visualization 602, and vice versa. Because the spreadsheet data 118 can be illustrated in additional and/or alternative structures other than the illustrated data points 606, it should be understood that the illustrated example is illustrative.

The overlay visualization 604 can include a chart such as, but not limited to, a column chart, line chart, pie chart, bar chart, area chart, scatter plot, stock chart, surface chart, doughnut chart, bubble chart, radar chart, histogram, any variation thereof, any combination thereof, and/or the like. The overlay visualization 64 can alternatively or additionally include one or more GUI elements such as buttons tabs, scroll bars, icons, menus, combinations thereof, and/or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the overlay visualization 604 includes a bar chart 608 and a UI control 610. The illustrated bar chart 608 includes a plurality of bars, each of which can represent a portion of the data points 604 shown on the geospatial visualization 602. The UI control 610 can allow a user to access settings, properties, controls, and/or other information regarding the geospatial visualization 602 and the overlay visualization 604 via a visualization component properties or settings bar (“settings bar”) 612.

The settings bar 612 can be presented, for example, in response to a user or other entity selecting the UI control 610. The settings bar 612 is illustrated as displaying various properties associated with the geospatial visualization 602 and the overlay visualization 604 presented on the screen display 600A. As shown in FIG. 6A, a user or other entity has selected an option 614 to filter and display the spreadsheet data 118 based upon categories associated with the spreadsheet data 118. Each bar of the bar chart 608 can represent a category. For example, the spreadsheet data 118 might be drug arrest data within which there are a plurality of categories that are each representative of a type of drug. In this example, each bar of the bar chart 608 might represent a type of drug. Other options such as “Zip”, “State”, “Ticket ID”, “Date”, and “Time” are shown. These options can be selected by a user or other entity to apply one or more filters to the spreadsheet data 118. For example, a user might select time to further filter the spreadsheet data 118 based upon time.

The settings bar 612 also includes overlay options 616. The illustrated embodiment shows the overlay options 616 including a show/hide overlay option 618, a show/hide overlay labels option 620, and an overlay type option 622. The show/hide overlay option 618 is shown in a selected state so that the overlay visualization 604 is presented on the screen display 600A. In an unselected state, the show/hide overlay option 618 causes the overlay visualization 604 to be hidden from the screen display 600A. It is contemplated that other means to show/hide the overlay visualization 604 may be used, including, for example, keyboard shortcuts, touch gestures, speech recognition, or the selection of other GUI elements (not shown).

The show/hide labels option 620 is shown in an unselected state so that labels associated with the bar chart 608 are not shown. In a selected state, the show/hide labels option 620 causes labels to be shown within the overlay visualization 604. The labels can provide additional details about the data represented in the overlay visualization 604. For example, the labels may label the axes of the bar chart 608 and/or provide additional details about the data represented in the bars of the bar chart 608. It is contemplated that other means to show/hide labels within the overlay visualization 604 may be used, including, for example, keyboard shortcuts, touch gestures, speech recognition, or the selection of other GUI elements (not shown).

The overlay type option 622 allows a user or other entity to select the type of chart or other visualization that is to be shown within the overlay visualization 604. In the illustrated example, a user has selected a bar chart overlay type, and the spreadsheet data 118 is shown in the bar chart 608 as a result.

In the illustrated embodiment, the screen display 600A can be presented on a touch-sensitive and/or multi-touch-sensitive display associated with a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112. For purposes of illustration, and not limitation, a user's finger 624 is illustrated proximate to the screen display 600A as if about to initiate an interaction with the screen display 600A. Because other input devices or structures can be used in accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, it should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, a UI diagram showing additional aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for facetted browsing is described in detail. In particular, FIG. 6B shows a screen display 600B generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen display 600B corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in FIG. 1 and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-6A. It should be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 6B is illustrative of one contemplated embodiment, and therefore should not be construed as being limited in any way.

In FIG. 6B, a user or other entity has selected or brushed over a bar 626 of the bar chart 608. In response, the screen display 600B shows the bar 626 in an emphasized state, which is illustrated by the bar 626 having a different hatching pattern than that of the other bars of the bar chart 608. A subset 628 of the data points 606 is also shown in the same emphasized state to convey to the user that the subset 628 is associated with the bar 626. In a similar manner, the user can brush over any of the other bars to emphasize other subsets of the data points 606 on the overlay visualization 604 and the geospatial visualization 602.

Turning now to FIG. 6C, a UI diagram showing additional aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for facetted browsing is described in detail. In particular, FIG. 6C shows a screen display 600C generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen display 600C corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in FIG. 1 and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-6B. It should be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 6C is illustrative of one contemplated embodiment, and therefore should not be construed as being limited in any way.

In FIG. 6C, another way in which a user can select the subset 628 is illustrated. In particular, the user's finger 624 is positioned at a point 630, and another finger 632 is dragged outward from the point 630 to define a radius of a circular area 632, thereby selecting and emphasizing each data point of the subset 628. The bar 626 that is associated with the subset 628 of data points is also emphasized. It should be appreciated that other touch gestures, mouse inputs, speech inputs, or other inputs can be used to provide similar functionality for the selection of at least a portion of the data points 606 via the geospatial visualization 602.

FIG. 7 illustrates an illustrative computer architecture 700 for a device capable of executing the software components described herein for facetted browsing. Thus, the computer architecture 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 illustrates an architecture for a server computer, mobile phone, a PDA, a smart phone, a desktop computer, a netbook computer, a tablet computer, and/or a laptop computer. The computer architecture 700 may be utilized to execute any aspects of the software components presented herein.

The computer architecture 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a central processing unit 702 (“CPU”), a system memory 704, including a random access memory 706 (“RAM”) and a read-only memory (“ROM”) 708, and a system bus 710 that couples the memory 704 to the CPU 702. A basic input/output system containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer architecture 700, such as during startup, is stored in the ROM 708. The computer architecture 700 further includes a mass storage device 712 for storing the operating system 107 and one or more application programs including, but not limited to, the spreadsheet application 108, the visualization component 110, other application programs, or the like. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the mass storage device 712 also can be configured to store the spreadsheet data 118, the geographic mapping data 124, the map data 127, and/or graphical data corresponding to one or more of the UIs 114 described herein, if desired.

The mass storage device 712 is connected to the CPU 702 through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 710. The mass storage device 712 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the computer architecture 700. Although the description of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable media can be any available computer storage media or communication media that can be accessed by the computer architecture 700.

Communication media includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics changed or set in a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

By way of example, and not limitation, computer storage media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. For example, computer media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer architecture 700. For purposes of the claims, the phrase “computer storage medium,” and variations thereof, does not include waves or signals per se and/or communication media.

According to various embodiments, the computer architecture 700 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through a network such as the network 104. The computer architecture 700 may connect to the network 104 through a network interface unit 714 connected to the bus 710. It should be appreciated that the network interface unit 714 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems such as, for example, the data source 120, the geocoding services 122, the map server 128, the user computing device 112, and/or other systems or devices. The computer architecture 700 also may include an input/output controller 716 for receiving and processing input from a number of other devices, including a keyboard, mouse, or electronic stylus (not shown in FIG. 7). Similarly, the input/output controller 716 may provide output to a display screen, a printer, or other type of output device (also not shown in FIG. 7).

It should be appreciated that the software components described herein may, when loaded into the CPU 702 and executed, transform the CPU 702 and the overall computer architecture 700 from a general-purpose computing system into a special-purpose computing system customized to facilitate the functionality presented herein. The CPU 702 may be constructed from any number of transistors or other discrete circuit elements, which may individually or collectively assume any number of states. More specifically, the CPU 702 may operate as a finite-state machine, in response to executable instructions contained within the software modules disclosed herein. These computer-executable instructions may transform the CPU 702 by specifying how the CPU 702 transitions between states, thereby transforming the transistors or other discrete hardware elements constituting the CPU 702.

Encoding the software modules presented herein also may transform the physical structure of the computer-readable media presented herein. The specific transformation of physical structure may depend on various factors, in different implementations of this description. Examples of such factors may include, but are not limited to, the technology used to implement the computer-readable media, whether the computer-readable media is characterized as primary or secondary storage, and the like. For example, if the computer-readable media is implemented as semiconductor-based memory, the software disclosed herein may be encoded on the computer-readable media by transforming the physical state of the semiconductor memory. For example, the software may transform the state of transistors, capacitors, or other discrete circuit elements constituting the semiconductor memory. The software also may transform the physical state of such components in order to store data thereupon.

As another example, the computer-readable media disclosed herein may be implemented using magnetic or optical technology. In such implementations, the software presented herein may transform the physical state of magnetic or optical media, when the software is encoded therein. These transformations may include altering the magnetic characteristics of particular locations within given magnetic media. These transformations also may include altering the physical features or characteristics of particular locations within given optical media, to change the optical characteristics of those locations. Other transformations of physical media are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present description, with the foregoing examples provided only to facilitate this discussion.

In light of the above, it should be appreciated that many types of physical transformations take place in the computer architecture 700 in order to store and execute the software components presented herein. It also should be appreciated that the computer architecture 700 may include other types of computing devices, including hand-held computers, embedded computer systems, personal digital assistants, and other types of computing devices known to those skilled in the art. It is also contemplated that the computer architecture 700 may not include all of the components shown in FIG. 7, may include other components that are not explicitly shown in FIG. 7, or may utilize an architecture completely different than that shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 illustrates an illustrative distributed computing environment 800 capable of executing the software components described herein for facetted browsing. Thus, the distributed computing environment 800 illustrated in FIG. 8 can be used to provide the functionality described herein with respect to the computer system 102. The distributed computing environment 800 thus may be utilized to execute any aspects of the software components presented herein.

According to various implementations, the distributed computing environment 800 includes a computing environment 802 operating on, in communication with, or as part of the network 804. The network 804 also can include various access networks. According to various implementations, the functionality of the network 804 can be provided by the network 104 illustrated in FIG. 1. One or more client devices 806A-806N (hereinafter referred to collectively and/or generically as “clients 806”) can communicate with the computing environment 802 via the network 804 and/or other connections (not illustrated in FIG. 8). In the illustrated embodiment, the clients 806 include a computing device 806A such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or other computing device; a slate or tablet computing device (“tablet computing device”) 806B; a mobile computing device 806C such as a mobile telephone, a smart phone, or other mobile computing device; a server computer 806D; and/or other devices 806N. It should be understood that any number of clients 806 can communicate with the computing environment 802. Two example computing architectures for the clients 806 are illustrated and described herein with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9. It should be understood that the illustrated clients 806 and computing architectures illustrated and described herein are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limited in any way.

In the illustrated embodiment, the computing environment 802 includes application servers 808, data storage 810, and one or more network interfaces 812. According to various implementations, the functionality of the application servers 808 can be provided by one or more server computers that are executing as part of, or in communication with, the network 804. The application servers 808 can host various services, virtual machines, portals, and/or other resources. In the illustrated embodiment, the application servers 808 host one or more virtual machines 814 for hosting applications or other functionality. According to various implementations, the virtual machines 814 host one or more applications and/or software modules for providing the functionality described herein for facetted browsing. It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way. The application servers 808 also host or provide access to one or more Web portals, link pages, Web sites, and/or other information (“Web portals”) 816.

According to various implementations, the application servers 808 also include one or more mailbox services 818 and one or more messaging services 820. The mailbox services 818 can include electronic mail (“email”) services. The mailbox services 818 also can include various personal information management (“PIM”) services including, but not limited to, calendar services, contact management services, collaboration services, and/or other services. The messaging services 820 can include, but are not limited to, instant messaging services, chat services, forum services, and/or other communication services.

The application servers 808 also can include one or more social networking services 822. The social networking services 822 can include various social networking services including, but not limited to, services for sharing or posting status updates, instant messages, links, photos, videos, and/or other information; services for commenting or displaying interest in articles, products, blogs, or other resources; and/or other services. In some embodiments, the social networking services 822 are provided by or include the FACEBOOK social networking service, the LINKEDIN professional networking service, the MYSPACE social networking service, the FOURSQUARE geographic networking service, the YAMMER office colleague networking service, and the like. In other embodiments, the social networking services 822 are provided by other services, sites, and/or providers that may or may not explicitly be known as social networking providers. For example, some web sites allow users to interact with one another via email, chat services, and/or other means during various activities and/or contexts such as reading published articles, commenting on goods or services, publishing, collaboration, gaming, and the like. Examples of such services include, but are not limited to, the WINDOWS LIVE service and the XBOX LIVE service from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. Other services are possible and are contemplated.

The social networking services 822 also can include commenting, blogging, and/or microblogging services. Examples of such services include, but are not limited to, the YELP commenting service, the KUDZU review service, the OFFICETALK enterprise microblogging service, the TWITTER messaging service, the GOOGLE BUZZ service, and/or other services. It should be appreciated that the above lists of services are not exhaustive and that numerous additional and/or alternative social networking services 822 are not mentioned herein for the sake of brevity. As such, the above embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limited in any way.

As shown in FIG. 8, the application servers 808 also can host other services, applications, portals, and/or other resources (“other resources”) 824. The other resources 824 can include, but are not limited to, the geocoding services 122, the map server 128, the data source 120, and/or other services and/or resources. It thus can be appreciated that the computing environment 802 can provide integration of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein provided herein for facetted browsing with various mailbox, messaging, social networking, and/or other services or resources. For example, the concepts and technologies disclosed herein can support sharing visualizations with social network users, mail recipients, message recipients or the like. Similarly, users or other entities can share visualizations and/or spreadsheet data 118 with social networking users, friends, connections, mail recipients, systems or devices, combinations thereof, or the like.

As mentioned above, the computing environment 802 can include the data storage 810. According to various implementations, the functionality of the data storage 810 is provided by one or more databases operating on, or in communication with, the network 804. The functionality of the data storage 810 also can be provided by one or more server computers configured to host data for the computing environment 802. The data storage 810 can include, host, or provide one or more real or virtual datastores 826A-826N (hereinafter referred to collectively and/or generically as “datastores 826”). The datastores 826 are configured to host data used or created by the application servers 808 and/or other data. Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, the datastores 826 also can host or store the operating system 106, the spreadsheet application 108, the visualization component 110, graphics data corresponding to one or more UIs 114, the spreadsheet data 118, the geographic mapping data 124, the map data 126, combinations thereof, or the like.

The computing environment 802 can communicate with, or be accessed by, the network interfaces 812. The network interfaces 812 can include various types of network hardware and software for supporting communications between two or more computing devices including, but not limited to, the clients 806 and the application servers 808. It should be appreciated that the network interfaces 812 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks and/or computer systems.

It should be understood that the distributed computing environment 800 described herein can provide any aspects of the software elements described herein with any number of virtual computing resources and/or other distributed computing functionality that can be configured to execute any aspects of the software components disclosed herein. According to various implementations of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the distributed computing environment 800 provides the software functionality described herein as a service to the clients 806. It should be understood that the clients 806 can include real or virtual machines including, but not limited to, server computers, web servers, personal computers, mobile computing devices, smart phones, and/or other devices. As such, various embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein enable any device configured to access the distributed computing environment 800 to utilize the functionality described herein for facetted browsing.

Turning now to FIG. 9, an illustrative computing device architecture 900 for a computing device that is capable of executing various software components described herein for facetted browsing. The computing device architecture 900 is applicable to computing devices that facilitate mobile computing due, in part, to form factor, wireless connectivity, and/or battery-powered operation. In some embodiments, the computing devices include, but are not limited to, mobile telephones, tablet devices, slate devices, portable video game devices, and the like. Moreover, the computing device architecture 900 is applicable to any of the clients 906 shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, aspects of the computing device architecture 900 may be applicable to traditional desktop computers, portable computers (e.g., laptops, notebooks, ultra-portables, and netbooks), server computers, and other computer systems, such as described herein with reference to FIG. 7. For example, the single touch and multi-touch aspects disclosed herein below may be applied to desktop computers that utilize a touchscreen or some other touch-enabled device, such as a touch-enabled track pad or touch-enabled mouse.

The computing device architecture 900 illustrated in FIG. 9 includes a processor 902, memory components 904, network connectivity components 906, sensor components 908, input/output components 910, and power components 912. In the illustrated embodiment, the processor 902 is in communication with the memory components 904, the network connectivity components 906, the sensor components 908, the input/output (“I/O”) components 910, and the power components 912. Although no connections are shown between the individuals components illustrated in FIG. 9, the components can interact to carry out device functions. In some embodiments, the components are arranged so as to communicate via one or more busses (not shown).

The processor 902 includes a central processing unit (“CPU”) configured to process data, execute computer-executable instructions of one or more application programs, and communicate with other components of the computing device architecture 900 in order to perform various functionality described herein. The processor 902 may be utilized to execute aspects of the software components presented herein and, particularly, those that utilize, at least in part, a touch-enabled input.

In some embodiments, the processor 902 includes a graphics processing unit (“GPU”) configured to accelerate operations performed by the CPU, including, but not limited to, operations performed by executing general-purpose scientific and engineering computing applications, as well as graphics-intensive computing applications such as high resolution video (e.g., 720p, 1090p, and greater), video games, three-dimensional modeling applications, and the like. In some embodiments, the processor 902 is configured to communicate with a discrete GPU (not shown). In any case, the CPU and GPU may be configured in accordance with a co-processing CPU/GPU computing model, wherein the sequential part of an application executes on the CPU and the computationally-intensive part is accelerated by the GPU.

In some embodiments, the processor 902 is, or is included in, a system-on-chip (“SoC”) along with one or more of the other components described herein below. For example, the SoC may include the processor 902, a GPU, one or more of the network connectivity components 906, and one or more of the sensor components 908. In some embodiments, the processor 902 is fabricated, in part, utilizing a package-on-package (“PoP”) integrated circuit packaging technique. Moreover, the processor 902 may be a single core or multi-core processor.

The processor 902 may be created in accordance with an ARM architecture, available for license from ARM HOLDINGS of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Alternatively, the processor 902 may be created in accordance with an x96 architecture, such as is available from INTEL CORPORATION of Mountain View, Calif. and others. In some embodiments, the processor 902 is a SNAPDRAGON SoC, available from QUALCOMM of San Diego, Calif., a TEGRA SoC, available from NVIDIA of Santa Clara, Calif., a HUMMINGBIRD SoC, available from SAMSUNG of Seoul, South Korea, an Open Multimedia Application Platform (“OMAP”) SoC, available from TEXAS INSTRUMENTS of Dallas, Tex., a customized version of any of the above SoCs, or a proprietary SoC.

The memory components 904 include a random access memory (“RAM”) 914, a read-only memory (“ROM”) 916, an integrated storage memory (“integrated storage”) 918, and a removable storage memory (“removable storage”) 920. In some embodiments, the RAM 914 or a portion thereof, the ROM 916 or a portion thereof, and/or some combination the RAM 914 and the ROM 916 is integrated in the processor 902. In some embodiments, the ROM 916 is configured to store a firmware, an operating system or a portion thereof (e.g., operating system kernel), and/or a bootloader to load an operating system kernel from the integrated storage 918 or the removable storage 920.

The integrated storage 918 can include a solid-state memory, a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard disk. The integrated storage 918 may be soldered or otherwise connected to a logic board upon which the processor 902 and other components described herein also may be connected. As such, the integrated storage 918 is integrated in the computing device. The integrated storage 918 is configured to store an operating system or portions thereof, application programs, data, and other software components described herein.

The removable storage 920 can include a solid-state memory, a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard disk. In some embodiments, the removable storage 920 is provided in lieu of the integrated storage 918. In other embodiments, the removable storage 920 is provided as additional optional storage. In some embodiments, the removable storage 920 is logically combined with the integrated storage 918 such that the total available storage is made available and shown to a user as a total combined capacity of the integrated storage 918 and the removable storage 920.

The removable storage 920 is configured to be inserted into a removable storage memory slot (not shown) or other mechanism by which the removable storage 920 is inserted and secured to facilitate a connection over which the removable storage 920 can communicate with other components of the computing device, such as the processor 902. The removable storage 920 may be embodied in various memory card formats including, but not limited to, PC card, CompactFlash card, memory stick, secure digital (“SD”), miniSD, microSD, universal integrated circuit card (“UICC”) (e.g., a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) or universal SIM (“USIM”)), a proprietary format, or the like.

It can be understood that one or more of the memory components 904 can store an operating system. According to various embodiments, the operating system includes, but is not limited to, SYMBIAN OS from SYMBIAN LIMITED, WINDOWS MOBILE OS from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., WINDOWS PHONE OS from Microsoft Corporation, WINDOWS from Microsoft Corporation, PALM WEBOS from Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif., BLACKBERRY OS from Research In Motion Limited of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, IOS from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., and ANDROID OS from Google Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. Other operating systems are contemplated.

The network connectivity components 906 include a wireless wide area network component (“WWAN component”) 922, a wireless local area network component (“WLAN component”) 924, and a wireless personal area network component (“WPAN component”) 926. The network connectivity components 906 facilitate communications to and from a network 928, which may be a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN. Although a single network 928 is illustrated, the network connectivity components 906 may facilitate simultaneous communication with multiple networks. For example, the network connectivity components 906 may facilitate simultaneous communications with multiple networks via one or more of a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN.

In some embodiments, the network 928 can correspond to the network 104 and/or the network 704 illustrated and described in FIGS. 1 and 6-7. In some other embodiments, the network 928 can include the network 104 illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 and/or the network 704 illustrated and described in FIG. 7. In yet other embodiments, the network 928 can provide access to the network 104 illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 and/or the network 804 illustrated and described in FIG. 8.

The network 928 may be a WWAN, such as a mobile telecommunications network utilizing one or more mobile telecommunications technologies to provide voice and/or data services to a computing device utilizing the computing device architecture 900 via the WWAN component 922. The mobile telecommunications technologies can include, but are not limited to, Global System for Mobile communications (“GSM”), Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) ONE, CDMA2000, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”), Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMAX”). Moreover, the network 928 may utilize various channel access methods (which may or may not be used by the aforementioned standards) including, but not limited to, Time Division Multiple Access (“TDMA”), Frequency Division Multiple Access (“FDMA”), CDMA, wideband CDMA (“W-CDMA”), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“OFDM”), Space Division Multiple Access (“SDMA”), and the like. Data communications may be provided using General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”), Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (“EDGE”), the High-Speed Packet Access (“HSPA”) protocol family including High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (“HSDPA”), Enhanced Uplink (“EUL”) or otherwise termed High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (“HSUPA”), Evolved HSPA (“HSPA+”), LTE, and various other current and future wireless data access standards. The network 928 may be configured to provide voice and/or data communications with any combination of the above technologies. The network 928 may be configured to or adapted to provide voice and/or data communications in accordance with future generation technologies.

In some embodiments, the WWAN component 922 is configured to provide dual-multi-mode connectivity to the network 928. For example, the WWAN component 922 may be configured to provide connectivity to the network 928, wherein the network 928 provides service via GSM and UMTS technologies, or via some other combination of technologies. Alternatively, multiple WWAN components 922 may be utilized to perform such functionality, and/or provide additional functionality to support other non-compatible technologies (i.e., incapable of being supported by a single WWAN component). The WWAN component 922 may facilitate similar connectivity to multiple networks (e.g., a UMTS network and an LTE network).

The network 928 may be a WLAN operating in accordance with one or more Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (“IEEE”) 902.11 standards, such as IEEE 902.11a, 902.11b, 902.11 g, 902.11n, and/or future 902.11 standard (referred to herein collectively as WI-FI). Draft 902.11 standards are also contemplated. In some embodiments, the WLAN is implemented utilizing one or more wireless WI-FI access points. In some embodiments, one or more of the wireless WI-FI access points are another computing device with connectivity to a WWAN that are functioning as a WI-FI hotspot. The WLAN component 924 is configured to connect to the network 928 via the WI-FI access points. Such connections may be secured via various encryption technologies including, but not limited, WI-FI Protected Access (“WPA”), WPA2, Wired Equivalent Privacy (“WEP”), and the like.

The network 928 may be a WPAN operating in accordance with Infrared Data Association (“IrDA”), BLUETOOTH, wireless Universal Serial Bus (“USB”), Z-Wave, ZIGBEE, or some other short-range wireless technology. In some embodiments, the WPAN component 926 is configured to facilitate communications with other devices, such as peripherals, computers, or other computing devices via the WPAN.

The sensor components 908 include a magnetometer 930, an ambient light sensor 932, a proximity sensor 934, an accelerometer 936, a gyroscope 938, and a Global Positioning System sensor (“GPS sensor”) 940. It is contemplated that other sensors, such as, but not limited to, temperature sensors or shock detection sensors, also may be incorporated in the computing device architecture 900.

The magnetometer 930 is configured to measure the strength and direction of a magnetic field. In some embodiments the magnetometer 930 provides measurements to a compass application program stored within one of the memory components 904 in order to provide a user with accurate directions in a frame of reference including the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west. Similar measurements may be provided to a navigation application program that includes a compass component. Other uses of measurements obtained by the magnetometer 930 are contemplated.

The ambient light sensor 932 is configured to measure ambient light. In some embodiments, the ambient light sensor 932 provides measurements to an application program stored within one the memory components 904 in order to automatically adjust the brightness of a display (described below) to compensate for low-light and high-light environments. Other uses of measurements obtained by the ambient light sensor 932 are contemplated.

The proximity sensor 934 is configured to detect the presence of an object or thing in proximity to the computing device without direct contact. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor 934 detects the presence of a user's body (e.g., the user's face) and provides this information to an application program stored within one of the memory components 904 that utilizes the proximity information to enable or disable some functionality of the computing device. For example, a telephone application program may automatically disable a touchscreen (described below) in response to receiving the proximity information so that the user's face does not inadvertently end a call or enable/disable other functionality within the telephone application program during the call. Other uses of proximity as detected by the proximity sensor 934 are contemplated.

The accelerometer 936 is configured to measure proper acceleration. In some embodiments, output from the accelerometer 936 is used by an application program as an input mechanism to control some functionality of the application program. For example, the application program may be a video game in which a character, a portion thereof, or an object is moved or otherwise manipulated in response to input received via the accelerometer 936. In some embodiments, output from the accelerometer 936 is provided to an application program for use in switching between landscape and portrait modes, calculating coordinate acceleration, or detecting a fall. Other uses of the accelerometer 936 are contemplated.

The gyroscope 938 is configured to measure and maintain orientation. In some embodiments, output from the gyroscope 938 is used by an application program as an input mechanism to control some functionality of the application program. For example, the gyroscope 938 can be used for accurate recognition of movement within a three-dimensional environment of a video game application or some other application. In some embodiments, an application program utilizes output from the gyroscope 938 and the accelerometer 936 to enhance control of some functionality of the application program. Other uses of the gyroscope 938 are contemplated.

The GPS sensor 940 is configured to receive signals from GPS satellites for use in calculating a location. The location calculated by the GPS sensor 940 may be used by any application program that requires or benefits from location information. For example, the location calculated by the GPS sensor 940 may be used with a navigation application program to provide directions from the location to a destination or directions from the destination to the location. Moreover, the GPS sensor 940 may be used to provide location information to an external location-based service, such as E911 service. The GPS sensor 940 may obtain location information generated via WI-FI, WIMAX, and/or cellular triangulation techniques utilizing one or more of the network connectivity components 906 to aid the GPS sensor 940 in obtaining a location fix. The GPS sensor 940 may also be used in Assisted GPS (“A-GPS”) systems.

The I/O components 910 include a display 942, a touchscreen 944, a data I/O interface component (“data I/O”) 946, an audio I/O interface component (“audio I/O”) 948, a video I/O interface component (“video I/O”) 950, and a camera 952. In some embodiments, the display 942 and the touchscreen 944 are combined. In some embodiments two or more of the data I/O component 946, the audio I/O component 948, and the video I/O component 950 are combined. The I/O components 910 may include discrete processors configured to support the various interface described below, or may include processing functionality built-in to the processor 902.

The display 942 is an output device configured to present information in a visual form. In particular, the display 942 may present graphical user interface (“GUI”) elements, text, images, video, notifications, virtual buttons, virtual keyboards, messaging data, Internet content, device status, time, date, calendar data, preferences, map information, location information, and any other information that is capable of being presented in a visual form. In some embodiments, the display 942 is a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) utilizing any active or passive matrix technology and any backlighting technology (if used). In some embodiments, the display 942 is an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) display. Other display types are contemplated.

The touchscreen 944 is an input device configured to detect the presence and location of a touch. The touchscreen 944 may be a resistive touchscreen, a capacitive touchscreen, a surface acoustic wave touchscreen, an infrared touchscreen, an optical imaging touchscreen, a dispersive signal touchscreen, an acoustic pulse recognition touchscreen, or may utilize any other touchscreen technology. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 is incorporated on top of the display 942 as a transparent layer to enable a user to use one or more touches to interact with objects or other information presented on the display 942. In other embodiments, the touchscreen 944 is a touch pad incorporated on a surface of the computing device that does not include the display 942. For example, the computing device may have a touchscreen incorporated on top of the display 942 and a touch pad on a surface opposite the display 942.

In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 is a single-touch touchscreen. In other embodiments, the touchscreen 944 is a multi-touch touchscreen. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 is configured to detect discrete touches, single touch gestures, and/or multi-touch gestures. These are collectively referred to herein as gestures for convenience. Several gestures will now be described. It should be understood that these gestures are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the described gestures, additional gestures, and/or alternative gestures may be implemented in software for use with the touchscreen 944. As such, a developer may create gestures that are specific to a particular application program.

In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a tap gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen 944 once on an item presented on the display 942. The tap gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, opening or launching whatever the user taps. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a double tap gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen 944 twice on an item presented on the display 942. The double tap gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, zooming in or zooming out in stages. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a tap and hold gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen 944 and maintains contact for at least a pre-defined time. The tap and hold gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, opening a context-specific menu.

In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a pan gesture in which a user places a finger on the touchscreen 944 and maintains contact with the touchscreen 944 while moving the finger on the touchscreen 944. The pan gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, moving through screens, images, or menus at a controlled rate. Multiple finger pan gestures are also contemplated. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a flick gesture in which a user swipes a finger in the direction the user wants the screen to move. The flick gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, scrolling horizontally or vertically through menus or pages. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 944 supports a pinch and stretch gesture in which a user makes a pinching motion with two fingers (e.g., thumb and forefinger) on the touchscreen 944 or moves the two fingers apart. The pinch and stretch gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited to, zooming gradually in or out of a website, map, or picture.

Although the above gestures have been described with reference to the use one or more fingers for performing the gestures, other appendages such as toes or objects such as styluses may be used to interact with the touchscreen 944. As such, the above gestures should be understood as being illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.

The data I/O interface component 946 is configured to facilitate input of data to the computing device and output of data from the computing device. In some embodiments, the data I/O interface component 946 includes a connector configured to provide wired connectivity between the computing device and a computer system, for example, for synchronization operation purposes. The connector may be a proprietary connector or a standardized connector such as USB, micro-USB, mini-USB, or the like. In some embodiments, the connector is a dock connector for docking the computing device with another device such as a docking station, audio device (e.g., a digital music player), or video device.

The audio I/O interface component 948 is configured to provide audio input and/or output capabilities to the computing device. In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 946 includes a microphone configured to collect audio signals. In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 946 includes a headphone jack configured to provide connectivity for headphones or other external speakers. In some embodiments, the audio interface component 948 includes a speaker for the output of audio signals. In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 946 includes an optical audio cable out.

The video I/O interface component 950 is configured to provide video input and/or output capabilities to the computing device. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface component 950 includes a video connector configured to receive video as input from another device (e.g., a video media player such as a DVD or BLURAY player) or send video as output to another device (e.g., a monitor, a television, or some other external display). In some embodiments, the video I/O interface component 950 includes a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (“HDMI”), mini-HDMI, micro-HDMI, DisplayPort, or proprietary connector to input/output video content. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface component 950 or portions thereof is combined with the audio I/O interface component 948 or portions thereof.

The camera 952 can be configured to capture still images and/or video. The camera 952 may utilize a charge coupled device (“CCD”) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”) image sensor to capture images. In some embodiments, the camera 952 includes a flash to aid in taking pictures in low-light environments. Settings for the camera 952 may be implemented as hardware or software buttons.

Although not illustrated, one or more hardware buttons may also be included in the computing device architecture 900. The hardware buttons may be used for controlling some operational aspect of the computing device. The hardware buttons may be dedicated buttons or multi-use buttons. The hardware buttons may be mechanical or sensor-based.

The illustrated power components 912 include one or more batteries 954, which can be connected to a battery gauge 956. The batteries 954 may be rechargeable or disposable. Rechargeable battery types include, but are not limited to, lithium polymer, lithium ion, nickel cadmium, and nickel metal hydride. Each of the batteries 954 may be made of one or more cells.

The battery gauge 956 can be configured to measure battery parameters such as current, voltage, and temperature. In some embodiments, the battery gauge 956 is configured to measure the effect of a battery's discharge rate, temperature, age and other factors to predict remaining life within a certain percentage of error. In some embodiments, the battery gauge 956 provides measurements to an application program that is configured to utilize the measurements to present useful power management data to a user. Power management data may include one or more of a percentage of battery used, a percentage of battery remaining, a battery condition, a remaining time, a remaining capacity (e.g., in watt hours), a current draw, and a voltage.

The power components 912 may also include a power connector, which may be combined with one or more of the aforementioned I/O components 910. The power components 912 may interface with an external power system or charging equipment via a power I/O component 944.

Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for facetted browsing have been disclosed herein. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to computer structural features, methodological and transformative acts, specific computing machinery, and computer readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts and mediums are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. 

We claim:
 1. A computer-implemented method for facetted browsing, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for: obtaining, at a computer system executing a visualization component, data including data values and geographic location information; generating, by the computer system, a geospatial visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the geographic location information; outputting, by the computer system, the geospatial visualization; generating, by the computer system, an overlay visualization of the data based, at least partially, upon the data values; and outputting, by the computer system, the overlay visualization.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further comprises temporal data.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geospatial visualization comprises a three-dimensional visualization and the overlay visualization comprises a two-dimensional visualization.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the computer system, an input via the overlay visualization to perform an action; and in response to the input, updating, by the computer system, the geospatial visualization.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises a brushing action performed over a portion of the overlay visualization, and wherein updating the geospatial visualization comprises emphasizing at least a portion of the geospatial visualization that is associated with the portion of the overlay visualization.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the overlay visualization to emphasize the portion of the overlay visualization.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises a selection action to select a portion of the overlay visualization, and wherein updating the geospatial visualization comprises emphasizing at least a portion of the geospatial visualization that is associated with the portion of the overlay visualization.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving, at the computer system, a filter input to filter a subset of the data that is associated with the selected portion of the overlay visualization; and filtering, by the computer system, the subset of the data that is associated with the selected portion of the overlay visualization.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the computer system, an input via the geospatial visualization to perform an action; and in response to the input, updating, by the computer system, the geospatial visualization and the overlay visualization to reflect the input.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining geographic mapping data from a geocoding service, the geographic mapping data comprising data mapping the geographic location information to geocoded information; and obtaining, from a map server, map data corresponding to the geocoded information.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the geospatial visualization comprises generating the geospatial visualization based, at least partially, upon the geographic mapping data and the map data.
 12. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: obtain spreadsheet data including data values and geographic location information; generate a geospatial visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the geographic location information, the geospatial visualization comprising a three-dimensional visualization that represents a plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in three-dimensional space; output the geospatial visualization; generate an overlay visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the overlay visualization comprising a two-dimensional visualization that represents the plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in two-dimensional space; and output the overlay visualization.
 13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, wherein the data further comprises temporal data.
 14. The computer storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to: receive an input via the overlay visualization to perform an action; and in response to the input, update the geospatial visualization.
 15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the action comprises a brushing action performed over a portion of the overlay visualization, and wherein the instructions to update the geospatial visualization comprise instructions to emphasize at least a portion of the geospatial visualization that is associated with the portion of the overlay visualization.
 16. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the action comprises a selection action to select a portion of the overlay visualization, and wherein the instructions to update the geospatial visualization comprises instructions to emphasize at least a portion of the geospatial visualization that is associated with the portion of the overlay visualization.
 17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to: receive a filter input to filter a subset of the data that is associated with the selected portion of the overlay visualization; and filter the subset of the data that is associated with the selected portion of the overlay visualization.
 18. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: obtain spreadsheet data including data values, temporal information, and geographic location information; generate a geospatial visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the temporal information, and the geographic location information, the geospatial visualization comprising a three-dimensional visualization that represents a plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in three-dimensional space; output the geospatial visualization to a user computing device in communication with the computer; generate an overlay visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values and the temporal information, the overlay visualization comprising a two-dimensional chart that represents the plurality of data points associated with the spreadsheet data in two-dimensional space; and output the overlay visualization to the user computing device such that the overlay visualization at least partially overlays the geospatial visualization.
 19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to: receive an input to select a portion of the spreadsheet data via the two-dimensional chart; in response to the input, select the portion of the spreadsheet data in the two-dimensional chart; and further in response to the input, select an associated portion of the spreadsheet data in the three-dimensional visualization.
 20. The computer storage medium of claim 18, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to: receive an input to select a portion of the spreadsheet data via the three-dimensional visualization; in response to the input, select the portion of the spreadsheet data in the three-dimensional visualization; and further in response to the input, select an associated portion of the spreadsheet data in the two-dimensional chart. 